The Beatles star, who married third wife Nancy Shevell in October, told The Times he knew his phone had been hacked because stories would emerge about personal details he had not told anyone.

In an interview with the newspaper, he said there was a possibility many people may have hacked his phone at the time of his divorce from second wife Heather Mills.

And he said it had had a lasting effect: "I tend not to say much on the phone now. If I leave a message, it's benign.

"You edit yourself according to the new circumstances of the new world. I think it would be quite good to get some sort of laws."

The star is the latest in a series of high-profile victims of hacking. The Leveson Inquiry into press standards has been hearing evidence from a range of people, including the family of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, actress Sienna Miller, and actor Hugh Grant.

This week singer Charlotte Church described the effect the press had had on her life, while lawyer Mark Lewis, whose clients include the Dowlers, said News International had tried to destroy his life, commissioning surveillance on him and his family.

A spokesman for Sir Paul said they would not be commenting on the interview in The Times.

A spokeswoman for News International said: "We are not able to comment on individual cases", and a Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "We are not providing a running commentary on this investigation."

On Wednesday university lecturer Bethany Usher, who worked at axed Sunday tabloid the News of the World, became the 17th arrest under Scotland Yard's Operation Weeting. She has been bailed until late March, sources said.